


good enough (for now)

by guide_to_the_galaxy



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brotp, Comedy, Friendship, Gen, Teenage Dorks, i love these kiddos so much, in which april and raph are the best friends 2012 failed to make them out to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-10 22:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15958913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guide_to_the_galaxy/pseuds/guide_to_the_galaxy
Summary: What they had was comfortable, and undying- and in the warmth of April's room, they share their fears, and their smiles, and learn a little bit more what it means to be family.





	good enough (for now)

**Author's Note:**

> I always felt, whether romantic or platonic, that Raph and April had an incredibly close and strong dynamic. It's chill and uncomplicated and I love how they can just vibe with each other in any incarnation- just wish the former show let us see that :/ but anyway enjoy! review if you wanna!

"Shit! Ow, ow,  _ow- holy hell!"_ Aprilscreams, and it's loud, almost louder than the thunder outside, that rumbles and shakes her apartment building, narrow and cozy and covered in little green creepers.

And she grasps at her scalp, where Raph (not so carefully despite his  _best_  efforts) combs through, picking out knots from two buns left in a little too long, and hair gel. Ballet lessons would do that to you, April learned the hard way- and keeping up with her boys would do it too.

"Sorry," he mumbles, and places the comb between sharp teeth as he parts her hair, "Buth you haff...alotta  _hair_ - _"_

They both wince as he pulls the knot apart as gingerly as over sized hands could; they were delicate in ways even hers weren't. Gentle touches from learned comfort of a brother. But a knot was a knot, and it still hurt like hell.

"'S okay," April breathes, and slouches against the edge of her bed, where Raph planted himself a few hours and two movies ago, arms slung over his legs, "How many more rows?"

"You sure you really wanna know that," Raph snickers, holding her head still between his knees.

April groans, cheeks smooshed against scales and the familiar cool of Raph's skin.

* * *

 

They're halfway through Home when April starts snoring, her drool sliding down his leg and wetting his loosened wraps. And Raph just sort of watches her, in the noise of the movie and of the rain, and thinks. Because maybe they got lucky, him and his brothers, with someone like April. Maybe it was a universal blessing because the universe knew that they'd be more complete this way; as five and as family and even more loved that way.

It's weird, and maybe even stupid, but there's something amazingly soothing watching her sleep; he'd never been used to seeing a human sleep, and in a peculiar way, they seemed more vulnerable and  _smaller._

So he watches April sleep, and nudges her cheek. It's a little rougher than he meant for it to be, and his knuckles brush over her freckles jolting her awake.

And she slaps him. Not hard, but not where it doesn't sting, because April could kill a man with her  _stare_ , and her hands (with a bat in them and any other makeshift weaponry on hand)- they could do a hell of a lot worse.

She softens and blinks sleep and shock away, giving his shoulder a soft punch. And for good measure, Raph pretends it hurts.

"Yeah well," April sniffs stubbornly, eyeing him with her nose to the air, "Next time don't punch me in my sleep-" and sticks out her tongue, "Asshole."

"Sure thing, baby-face."

April gasps in mock hurt and hurls the first pillow she can at his head, "Excuse you, big-foot- my face is...very, very grown and-" she takes her pillow, hovering over Raph and ready to swing, "My aunt says I look like a fucking  _woman!"_

The pillow crashes down several times, and Raph has tears from laughing, and fuzz stuck on his tongue. He pushes April back by her face and, with one hand, holds her back in her place, sticking a comb in her hair.

 _"Sit,_ dramatic woman, and watch your damn language for Christ's sake."

April huffs, reaching for the pillow again, before Raph swats it away, "I'm not gonna stay awake," she protests, "How much more ya got up there?"

Straightening the tilt of her head, Raph resumes braiding, making a noncommittal sound as he does.

And groaning, April slouches, glancing around her tiny bedroom for entertainment, because Home was an absolute  _masterpiece_ , but she knew the lines backwards and forwards. Raph is quiet above her, and careful, grunting here and there when he has to start a braid all over again; he was getting good, it was like therapy to him. Free therapy. And she got free box braids. And when a movie and Fanta failed to keep her awake, talking never did.

So she sits up a little, scoots back and as Raph starts parting, she tilts her head up to him, her fingers laced in the small curls of her carpet.

"Okay secrets time," she says, and doesn't need to elaborate, because Raph is familiar, and his small smile is enough say-so.

He shrugs, still grinning.

"I don't got none."

_"Bull."_

"Mouth.  _Jesus."_

"Sorry," April sighs, and pokes his leg, "Bull _shit."_

He whacks her but without the lack of affection, and smiles harder, "Fine. You first though, 'cause you, like, initiated it."

April cuts her eyes, and folds her legs up, resting her cheek on her knees, "Okay so. I think I'm never gonna be....good. Like. At anything."

Raph loosens his grip on her hair and sits back, his eyes watching her in a curious sadness.

"Which sucks ya know! I can't keep a job and dad  _needs_ me to have one- anyone can say 'Hi, welcome to... _whatever,_ but when _I_ do it, I fuck it up! And not in the good way, Raph! No I  _really_  fuck it up, miserably!"

She buries her face in her knees, "That's probably not a secret...you go. I'm beat."

Raph frowns, because of any of them,  _none of them_ should feel that way. Because they were all incredibly amazing. Especially April. But the point of Secrets Time is to not ruin the participant(s)' moping. Even if it was invalid.

But Raph made habit out of breaking rules. He takes April by her face and squishes her cheeks, turning her to him.

"You. Are. Precious. And  _valid,_ and cool and capable and smart. You have a shit-ton of time to figure jobs out, April. And your pops gets that it's- it's rough. In this...economy?" he falters with a half smile and a grimace that April snorts at.

He waves it away, still holding her by the face.

"Point is, you're good. And you got time. Got it?"

April rolls her eyes. Which means yes. Which Raph likes to hear, even if he's not convinced she does yet. But it's good enough, and he deflates, letting go and sitting back.

"Now...my turn." he lifts his eyes to her briefly, "I know...that our mutation made us...different. An' Donnie swears on science and shit that it made us more human than anything. Maybe better, I guess. But...rats."

"Rats." April cocks her head.

"Yeah like...they don't live long? I guess. And Pops- ya know. He's- well we don't know  _how_  old- but he's-" Raph raises his hand above their heads, "-up there. And...I get ta thinkin', what if he just...does what old people do. And then it's just...me. And my brothers. And I gotta look after 'em without him."

He finally looks up from his lap, and meets April's widened eyes, and releases the breath he's been holding with a chuckle.

"Well damn," April says, giving a sad smile.

And Raph. He just nods, feeling better and worse at the same time, which was the strange kind of power Secret Time possessed, and lets out another breathy laugh.

"Sounds dumb, doesn't it?"

But April, she doesn't laugh. She just scurries onto the bed and gives that same soft punch (with a whole other meaning) and pats his head.

"No," she sighs, "It really doesn't. But Splinter? He can still kick y'all's asses. I think he's good for now...and if not. You guys won't.  _Ever_ , be alone _._ " she raises a brow at Raph, _"You_  got that?"

And Raph smiles, toothy and wide. Which means he does, a little. Which is good enough for now.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all liked it! It's my first work for ROTTMT and I'm so looking forward to doing more for this series! Let me know what you guys thought of it!


End file.
